Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-14
Why Cheese Flav0rs Differ.
Prairia Earrnar

We are as yet just on the threshold of
the scientific knowledge that is coming
to the air of all departments of agricul-
tural industry. When is shall come to be
found that all disease of our farm crops,
including fruits and all maladies of
animals, including the human, not the re-
suit of instructive accidents, are due to
innumerable minute insects or organisms,
SO small that they have in all the past
nearly escaped observation; and that
these can be classified, their habits under
stood, and their operations brought I'M
der control. Take cheese for illustration
There has always been a mystery yhy
those cured by apparently the same pro-
cesses should differ so greatly in flavor
and piquancy in different districts of the
same and of different countries. A sa-
want, M. E. Duclaux, has long been en-
gagged in researches at the Dairy Expert
msnt Station at Eau in France. He has
succeeded in isolating and studying the
life history of certain microbia which he
recognizes as the primary agents that
modify the constituents of cheese, and
that these are of different classes or
species; that the various species effect
quite different results in the character
and quality of the ripened cheese; that
in any dairy these mlcrobia of a particu-
lar variety established themselves in
greatly superior numbers, to the crowd
ing out of other kinds. They impregnate
the factory in all its parts, fill the air and
cling to the vessels and the clothing of
the operatives. From the moment the
milk is drawn from the COW it begins to
receive these infnitessimal microbes,
which affect it through the entire process
up to the final curing of the cheese, pro-
ducing the changes that take place, each
variety or species of microbs affec ling
the curd, the fermentation, etc, in way
of its own, and producing the varieties in
favor, consistency, etc The accounts of
M. Duclaux's Investigations are very long
and full.
The practical results to be expected
will come from the fact that these various
microbes are subject to control; some
are destroyed by n certain temperature,
for example, that would not affect others.
Desirable kinds may be propagated, and
others diminished. Aside from the in
terest attached to their explanation of
every day processes, the Investigations
are certain to lead to results
of practical utility. We are coming slow
ly to understand that there are no spon-
taneous fermeatations or putrefactions.
They are the crops from seed sown, as
mach as are our various grains and when
we understand them the useful seed can
be scattred and the eliminated or steril-
lied by heating or otherwise. The vine
gar-maker has already learned how
to raise unmixed crops of Mycoder-
ma aceti and thus obtain a pure article
in the production of his work. The high
class brewer now asses the microscope to
ascertain the healthfulness of his yeast
plants, and their freedom from injurious
bacteria which is found present are de-
stroyed by ascertained processes. 1t is
not at all improbable that the cheese
maker may soon come, by the aid
of science, to cultivate those microbes
which will raise his cheese to far higher
standard, and to repress or sterilize those
diminishing its value.